Meet Odin, and need some advice.

Hallo all, meet Odin 9 weeks old now

I have some concerns, the breeder had him on Hills Science Plan Puppy, and it is chicken based(His stool was loose when I got him). I purchased Acana Puppy and Junior, which is also chicken based, I am slowly moving him over to the Acana, but his stools are still the same, and he is getting itchy. When I do some training with him I use small chicken pieces and shortly after he needs to go and the stool is extremely loose to liquid. Is he allergic to chicken, or still just a puppy tummy?

All other puppy food I can get is all chicken based. The best food I can get here in South Africa is Acana. Any suggestions on what I can do?

Re: Meet Odin, and need some advice.

It could be something in the environment that is causing the itching too. How much are you feeding, cut back a little on the amount in each meal and see if that helps with the soft stool

Here is a good guideline for feeding:

8 weeks 1/2 cup 3 times a day
12 weeks 2/3 to 3/4 cup 3 times a day
4 & 5 months3/4 cup 3 times a day
6 months to 1 year 1.25 to 1.5 cups twice a day

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There is a part of your heart not alive until a bulldog has entered your life.Nitschke (2004-2011) and Banks (2005-2014) -- My angels Thank you for all the love, fun and teachings

Re: Meet Odin, and need some advice.

Hi, I am feeding him the correct amounts according to the food recommendations, that is 3 times a day, and just less that half a cup per serving.

How long has he been with you? if just a week or few days, it could also be he is nervous and needing to settle in. Can you get pure pumpkin?
@Petra .... any suggestions?

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There is a part of your heart not alive until a bulldog has entered your life.Nitschke (2004-2011) and Banks (2005-2014) -- My angels Thank you for all the love, fun and teachings

Re: Meet Odin, and need some advice.

He has been here for a week and a half, and he seems settled in. I have never seen pumpkin in cans here, so I will have to make it, just boil it up and mash it?

Yes, just boil it soft in water and add a little in the beginning, I think a tablespoon is enough to start with and if it doesn't help you can give more.

It takes a while for their tummies to adjust, even if switching to a better food it still affects them. I would give it some time unless you're sure his issues are caused by the food.

He's gotten his injections on time right? Just want to make sure his loose stool isn't caused by parvo... we rescued a basset puppy from a back yard breeder that didn't inject the puppies cos they weren't paid for, it's so sad, it's like R100 to get the injection from the vet. We took her straight for her first injection when we got her, she was then 8 weeks old, she still got parvo cos she wasn't injected at 6 weeks of age. If he's acting normal otherwise and shows no signs of being weak or lacking energy I don't think you need to worry about that.

Bulldogs are prone to allergies unfortunately, maybe the breeder can connect you with other people that got puppies from the same litter and ask how their pups are doing on whatever they feed? It can also be something in the environment, detergent or cleaning products... grass or anything really, it's a mission to figure it out.

While I'm at it I just want to give a heads up about chew-able tick and flea treatments... stay away from any that contains a mix of spinosad and milbemycin oxime, there are so many brands now that contains that mix so I'm just stating the ingredients.

Adding some coconut oil in the food can sometimes help the itch, it keeps the skin soft and has a lot of other benefits as well

You were born with the ability to change someone's life, don't ever waste it.

Re: Meet Odin, and need some advice.

Hi @Petra, yes he has had 2 of his injections, and his card says he is due for the next one on the 26th. He is FULL of energy, and I am full of little holes, trying my best to distract him to the chewy toys.

I am going to try the pumpkin and see how it goes. I purchased coconut oil, but not sure how much I must add per meal, and just once a day, or with each meal?

He was sprayed with Frontline spray 2 weeks before I got him, and I purchased ExSPOT that I will apply next week, because the Frontline is supposed to last a month.

Re: Meet Odin, and need some advice.

Originally Posted by Dieter

Hi @Petra, yes he has had 2 of his injections, and his card says he is due for the next one on the 26th. He is FULL of energy, and I am full of little holes, trying my best to distract him to the chewy toys.

I am going to try the pumpkin and see how it goes. I purchased coconut oil, but not sure how much I must add per meal, and just once a day, or with each meal?

He was sprayed with Frontline spray 2 weeks before I got him, and I purchased ExSPOT that I will apply next week, because the Frontline is supposed to last a month.

Thanks for all the help

They do have a lot more energy than one expect, lol, and the puppy teeth are really hectic

Since he's a pup I think it's enough to start with 1/2 tbsp coconut oil and increase to a full tbsp if he's not reacting negatively to it. I give two tbsp a day to my adult dogs with their breakfast, as I experienced it their fur got softer and they shed a little less, which helps cos my two white ones used to shed like crazy at times.

Hope the pumpkin will help

You were born with the ability to change someone's life, don't ever waste it.

Re: Meet Odin, and need some advice.

Originally Posted by Dieter

Hallo all, meet Odin 9 weeks old now

I have some concerns, the breeder had him on Hills Science Plan Puppy, and it is chicken based(His stool was loose when I got him). I purchased Acana Puppy and Junior, which is also chicken based, I am slowly moving him over to the Acana, but his stools are still the same, and he is getting itchy. When I do some training with him I use small chicken pieces and shortly after he needs to go and the stool is extremely loose to liquid. Is he allergic to chicken, or still just a puppy tummy?

All other puppy food I can get is all chicken based. The best food I can get here in South Africa is Acana. Any suggestions on what I can do?

Regards,

Dieter

Hi Dieter ( that's my Dads name). Welcome to EBN to you and Odin. ( love his name). Glad you joined us. You will love this site, there are lots of great articles and forums to read and learn from, and lots of great members (crazy bully pawrents). Lol. I hope to see more of you and Odin on here.

When I first brought home home my two guys, the breeder had them on Royal Canin, which is also chicken based, but is also not the best choice of food, so I switched them to Go Natural, which is also chicken based, and rhey didn't tolerate it. They had soft serve poops, the vet said the food was too rich for them, so I switched them to Fromms Puppy Gold, again which is chicken based and that's when we realized it wasn't just a sensitivity but that they were allergic to chicken, I then switched them to Fromms Beef Frittata which they were on for almost two years, but they developed an allergy to that food as well, and so I switched them to Fromms Lamb and Lentil. They were on this for 9 months and Dozer developed an allergy to that food. Blossom is still on the Lamb and is doing well. Dozer has become a hot mess, and my experiment.

I started him last Fall on Natural Balance Grain Free Vegan Kibble. I put him on this food for one month to detoxify him from all proteins and then tried some Novel Proteins like Rabbit and Kangaroo, but he didn't do well on either one, so I kept him on the Vegan but added non-animal proteins like kidney beans, Lentils, and Scrambled Eggs, he does really well on this food, and he was on it for the whole winter, but since he seems to develop allergies when he's on one for a while, I switch him up every two weeks, so for two weeks he has the Vegan Kibble, and I've had him on Go Natural Sensitivity and Shine Venison the other two weeks, no he is tolerating it so far. I'm hoping he continues to do well on these, and by alternating the kibble, he won't develop a sensitivity. Crossing my fingers. His fur on his chest has started to grow back in, and he isn't licking his paws anymore. His ears are still a bit yeasty, but getting better. I add Plain Unsweetened Yogurt to their morning kibble for the Probiotics, which is good for the digestion and for the immune system, I also add Coconut Oil to their evening kibble for the Omega Fatty Acids, and they get Apple Cider Vinegar in their drinking water as well.

If you you find that Odin doesn't tolerate chicken based puppy kibble so, you could put him on an all stages kibble like Fromms with a different protein base. When changing foods, it's best to do a slow transition to avoid tummy upsets.

Start by mixing 2/3 of a cup of the old food with 1/3 of a cup of the new food for a few days, then mix half and half for a few days, and finally mix 2/3 of the new food with 1/3 of the old food, and then all new food.

you might want to contact Petra as well, as she lives in SA as well, and can maybe recommend some good foods in your area. Good luck.

LEARN A LESSON FROM YOUR DOG, NO MATTER WHAT LIFE BRINGS YOU, KICK SOME GRASS OVER THAT AND MOVE ON.